Building a Real-Time Notification Feed
Combine SSE with React state to build a notification feed that updates in real time without user interaction.
Notification Feed Architecture
A real-time notification feed combines an SSE stream for incoming notifications with REST endpoints for marking items as read. The component maintains local state for the notification list, subscribes to the server stream via EventSource in a useEffect, and handles user interactions (mark-as-read, dismiss) with optimistic updates.
Notification Data Shape
A notification object typically has this shape: { id: string, type: 'info' | 'warning' | 'success', message: string, timestamp: string, read: boolean }. The type field drives the icon and color. The read field tracks whether the user has acknowledged the notification. The timestamp enables grouping by time period.
All lessons in this course
- SSE vs WebSockets vs Polling Comparison
- Consuming SSE Streams in React with EventSource
- Long Polling Pattern and Reconnection Logic
- Building a Real-Time Notification Feed